Having spent one high school summer working on a survey team in a residential development, I can assure everyone that surveyors no longer use "to a corner red oak" as a benchmark.

To respond to a previous post, in general the public land states used the range and township method. The state land states used metes and bounds. Public land states are those states where the Federal Government granted land to private owners. State land states are those where the state government granted land to private owners. 

Donald W. Moore
Virginia Beach, Virginia

On Feb 15, 2011, at 9:13 AM, JB Garrett wrote:

>> Do they have some surveyor's benchmarks at the corners now rather than a tree?
> 
> -Generally there are iron rods or pipes at the corners or sometimes a nail or spike driven
> into the base of the original
> tree (or tree stump).  There can be chiseled crosses or drill holes on rock or in concrete
> posts set into the ground.  A 'PK' (name of
> the manufacturer Parker-Kaplon) hardened steel  nail can be hammered into pavement.  I
> have seen some markers that are
> short railroad rails with a punch hold in the top or an axle from an old car or other
> machinery.
> 
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